Today in U.S. Naval History: January 2
Today in U.S. For more information about naval history, visit the Naval History and Heritage Command website at history.navy.mil.
Shell Acquires Repsol LNG Portfolio
Royal Dutch Shell plc has announced the completion of the acquisition of Repsol S.A.'s liquefied natural gas (LNG) portfolio outside North America for a headline cash consideration of $4.1 billion. As part of the transaction, Shell will also assume $1.6 billion of balance sheet liabilities relating to existing leases for LNG ship charters, substantially increasing the shipping capacity available to Shell's LNG marketing business.
Gas and Oil Discoveries in the Askja Prospects
Operator Statoil has together with PL272 partners made a gas discovery in the Askja West prospect and an oil discovery in the Askja East prospect in the North Sea. The exploration wells 30/11-9 S and 30/11-9 A, drilled by the drilling rig Ocean Vanguard, are located between the Oseberg and Frigg fields and about 13 km southeast of the Statoil-operated Krafla/Krafla West discoveries. Main wellbore…
MV Akademik Shokalskiy Update
Rescue operations delayed by ice conditions. The Australian Maritime Safety Authority’s (AMSA) Rescue Coordination Centre (RCC Australia) has been advised this morning that sea ice conditions in the area are likely to delay today’s planned rescue of passengers from the MV Akademik Shokalskiy. It is now likely the rescue will not go ahead today. AMSA understands that current sea ice conditions prevent…
Naval Architects 3GA Marine Open Victoria BC Office
3GA Marine, a growing naval architecture and marine engineering firm has announced the opening of their new office located in View Royal, a suburb of Victoria, BC. Company founder and president David Stocks is a naval architect with over 40 years’ experience leading teams of experts in maritime and offshore vessel projects. He established 3GA Marine in 2012, in response to a need from the commercial marine sector in Canada and across the Pacific Rim for high-quality…
Korea Shipbuilders May See Mild 2014 Recovery: Analysts
The nation’s major shipbuilders are expected to undergo a mild recovery on the back of a pickup in demand for commercial vessels and liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers…
World Economy Poised for Faster Growth Says Oil Report
The world economy is set for faster growth now that it has achieved escape velocity. Current low oil inventories and stock declines are supporting strong prices.
Struggling Florida Swimmer Spends Night on Channel Marker
A 31-year-old woman was rescued by the Coast Guard Auxiliary after she was spotted clinging to a channel marker near Matanzas Pass, Fla., having been swept out to sea and forced to cling to the navigation channel marker for 7 hours on New Year's Eve. The boatcrew from Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 91 was on a routine patrol when they located the woman, at 7-45 a.m. on New Year's Day, removed her from the marker and brought her aboard.
First Photo of China's Carrier Battle Group
The Chinese Navy has released the first photographs of what many military observers believe is the 'Liaoning' aircraft carrier battle group reports Xinhua. The photo (reproduced here) shows the Liaoning sailing in company with several battleships, submarines and military aircraft The Navy did not disclose when and where the picture was taken. The carrier has successfully carried out 37 days of tests…
Indian Shipyards Likely to Benefit from Government Orders
Indian shipyards will commission five warships each year in the next five years, reports 'The New Indian Express', citing Defence Minister A K Antony, who added…
Stranded Morocco Tankship Salvage Underway
Morocco has launched an operation to empty the Iranian-owned oil tanker 'Kharg 5' that ran aground during a storm near the southern port of Tan Tan with 5,000 tonnes of fuel on board…
Life at Sea in Container Ships Extraordinay Says New Book
Author Horatio Clare joined two container ships for voyages that led to the recent publication of his book 'Down To The Sea In Ships: Of Ageless Oceans and Modern Men', available from Amazon for Kindle, or as a hardback. For millennia, the seaways have carried our goods, cultures and ideas, the terrors of war and the bounties of peace - and they have never been busier than they are today. But though our normality depends on shipping…
Passage of Cyclone: Australian Ore Ports Reopening
Berthing of vessels to be confirmed once the appropriate channel inspections have been carried out, sea conditions are within safe operating parameters for berthing…
Seafarers' Charity Volunteer in UK New Year Honours List
Apostleship of the Sea volunteer ship visitor Joe McHugh has been awarded an OBE (Order of the British Empire medal) for his services to radioactive substances regulation and also for his voluntary services to the community. For many years Dr McHugh has worked in the Radioactive Substances Regulation department at the Environment Agency’s headquarters in Bristol working to ensure radioactive material is used and disposed of properly throughout England.
DryShips to Resume Market Common Share Offering
Greece's NASDAQ-listed DryShips Inc. says it intends to resume sales under its previously announced $200 million program of 'at the market issuances' of its common shares through Evercore Group L.L.C. as its sales agent. To date, the Company has issued 6,892,233 common shares under the program resulting in gross proceeds of $24.1 million. DryShips adds that a prospectus supplement related to the offering has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Antarctic Expedition Vessel Passengers to be Airlifted
The latest news update from the Australian Maritime Safety Authority’s (AMSA) Rescue Coordination Centre (RCC Australia) informs that the Australian icebreaker 'Aurora Australis' is unable to reach the stranded 'Akademik Shokalskiy' as it would risk becoming beset itself if it continued with rescue attempts. Evacuation of passengers by helicopter is now planned. The Aurora Australis made attempts yesterday…
Subsea Production, Arctic Shelf Oil, Gazprom 2013 Milestones
Gazprom lists amongst its 2013 achievements: the first subsea gas production facility by any Russian company, and secondly, extraction of the first oil from the Russian Arctic Shelf. Russia's first subsea production facility was successfully tested in the Kirinskoye field within the Sakhalin III project. The subsea production facility makes it possible to produce gas with no platforms or other above-water facilities.
Siem Offshore Order Duel-Fuelled PSV's
Norway-based Siem Offshore has contracted Remontowa Shipbuilding S.A. in Poland to build four dual-fuelled Platform Supply Vessels (PSVs). The vessels are to be of VS 4411 DF design, and Siem Offshore say that they currently have two vessels of similar design under construction for delivery in 2014 and 2015. The new PSV's will be equipped with dual-fuel LNG or Marine Diesel Oil (MDO) systems which Siem Offshore claim to represent the latest technology of dual fuelled systems and hull design…
JW Fishers' Side Scan Sonars Key in Somali Port Mine Clearance
JW Fishers inform that Bancroft Global Development is using its side scan sonars to locate and make safe Somalia's harbor in the capital city, Mogadishu, which was heavily mined during the civil war in that country. SomaliaÂ’'s Transitional Federal Government (TFG) launched the Mogadishu Port Rehabilitation Project and assisting in this work is Washington-based Bancroft Global Development, an organization that receives some funding from the United Nations and the US State Department.
Austal Launches JACKSON (LCS 6)
First of Austal’s ten-ship Littoral Combat Ship contract. On December 14, 2013, Austal USA successfully completed the launch of the future USS Jackson (LCS 6). The Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) is a fast, agile, focused-mission platform designed for operation in near-shore environments yet capable of open-ocean operation. This vessel is the first of ten 127-meter Independence-variant LCS class ships Austal has been contracted to build for the U.S.
